Marvel's Cosmic Comics: Star Wars, John Carter, ROM, Micronauts, and Beyond!

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we're exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986. For this episode, Ben reads the next three chapters in the 12 issue epic “Master Assassin of Mars” from JOHN CARTER issues 21-23, December 1978, January 1979, and February …

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we're exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986. Ben returns to 1979 to read the toy-line tie-in SHOGUN WARRIORS! Last issue introduced three pilots and one robot . . . but this issue brings two more robots …

(We have moved our websites to a new server, and as a result we lost this post, meaning I had to re-upload it. Please accept our apologies if you had this show up in your feed twice. Thank you!) Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we're exploring comic books based on …

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we're exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986. THE HUMAN FLY . . . ends here! This episode covers the FINAL issue of The Human Fly! Did they even know it was the final episode? Maybe yes, …

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we're exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986. And we're beginning the journey to find a lonely plant . . . known as . . . EARTH! So excited! Battlestar Galactica was absolutely the product of a …

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we’re exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986. Star Wars continues! Luke faces Vader . . . in a hallucination! Han Solo faces Chewy . . . in a zero-G arena! Leia faces stormtroopers . . . …

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we’re exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986. The Master Assassin of Mars continues . . . with gladiatorial combat in an arena against a very big lion with a large number of legs. And teeth. But …

The Micronauts move from inner space to yard space as they take on one of the great dangers of the back yard - a lawn mower!

The Human Fly travels to his next stunt location and find some real world issues that need to be taken care of, REAL-LIFE SUPERHERO STYLE!

Godzilla, now man-sized, sneaks through the city . . . until he comes to a face-off with Dum Dum Dugan. A face-off that finally allows Dum Dum and Big-G to come face to face and go mano-a-mano!

Shogun Warriors, a Doug Moench and Herb Trimpe work based on the Mattel toyline that merged a number of Japanese properties into one, gets its origin in this "1st ISSUE COLLECTOR'S ITEM"! And the license seems to be in good hands! 

"Deathgame" continues Archie Goodwin's original Star Wars tale taking place on The Wheel, a space casino that puts everyone in danger! And the stakes just keep on rising! In a world where Empire Strikes Back was still only in script form, the Star Wars universe grew here!

The coverage of Marvel’s licensed books from January 1979 ends here as we take a peek at the ads and company promo items from this month and then take a look at the treasury sized edition of Marvel’s adaptation of Battlestar Galactica in Marvel Super Special #8!

The fifth chapter in Chris Claremont's "Master Assassin of Mars" continues here as John Carter fights a war for the very people who are making it so he cannot leave their underground world. But he plans to leave and he's taking Dejah Thoris with him...if only he can rescue her!

Godzilla is shrunk down to the size of a house cat but he's still the king of the monsters! King of the TINY monsters, but king none-the-less.

Bill Mantlo's classic run begins here! A toy line with no story is transformed into an inner-space opera epic starting with this issue: The Micronauts #1!

The theft of a little girl's camera reveals an attempt to sabotage the Human Fly's newest stunt! But what reason do the criminals have to do this? And why is the Fly going through with it? More important: is the story any good?

The death wheel in the sky keeps on turning and our team doesn't know where they'll be tomorrow! Today, however, they know they're in danger from both the Empire and the people of the space station they found themselves on, which was supposed to be a safe haven!

Taking a look at some of the extra things going on when the comics cover dated December of 1978 were on the stands . . . like the final issues of Devil Dinosaur and Machine Man. And the FIRST issue of a new series that will be covered in our next round of Marvel's Cosmic Comics!

Trapped in a strange land, John Carter and Dejah Thoris find their bonds of love tested and perhaps found lacking! John carter and a new friend also find their battle skills put to the test in a seemingly endless wave of savages!

"Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..." they go and make a sequel!

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we’re exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986.   The team has a plan and does their plan and their plan is solid enough to launch us into the Genuine Godzilla Shenanigans next issue! But for this …

The Human Fly takes on greedy businessmen and really, really careless, incompetent reporters. At Niagara Falls. And none of it is as good as it sounds.

The empire strikes! But it's not striking BACK...not yet, anyway. (And do they really strike in THIS issue? We'll talk about it.)

To celebrate 100 episodes of both the Marvel’s Cosmic Comics sub-feed AND the main feed, we cover John Carter’s 2nd annual AND John Carter’s big screen appearance! First, The Headmen of Mars, a fantastic story of horror and weirdness! Then, my review of John Carter, the movie, from a 2012 episode of …

With news of Carrie Fisher’s passing, plans changed and Ben take a look back at the comic book mini-series that pays a fitting tribute to the character that Carrie Fisher brought to life: Princess Leia. Rebel leader, princess, and icon, Princess Leia turned the concept of “save the princess” on …

Taking a look at what else is happening at Marvel with the cover date November, 1978. Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur take on other dino riders, while Machine Man deals with evil scientists, and some advertisements cause some excitement for what's coming to Marvel's Cosmic Comics in the near future!

Tars Tarkas battles alone against a contender for his leadership!

The Human Fly grapples with two Vietnam vets who have turned to terrorism to get the word out about the shoddy care wounded veterans are receiving.

In part two of what could be called the "Godzilla Goes West" story arc, Godzilla proves himself to be one tough dude.

This month's Star Wars is a fill in issue, meant to fill in the gap for scheduling purposes as the regular team worked on the series, but also meant to fill in the gap on some of Luke Skywalker's past!

Ben takes a peek at the ads and editorial material in the Marvel comics cover dated October, 1978 and also takes a look at two comics related to Jack Kirby's 2001: A Space Odyssey: Machine Man #7 and Devil Dinosaur #7.

The "Claremont era" of John Carter: Warlord of Mars continues with part 2 The Assassins of Mars! How does it stack up to Wolfman's first half?

NEW EPISODE! It's Spider-Man in one of his most outlandish team-ups: the cast of Saturday Night Live? It all makes sense, in a comic book sort of way...although the question remains: how in the world did this happen? Guest starring: Stan Lee!

NEW EPISODE! Go west, young kaiju! It's cowboys vs. kaiju and one side is WAY outmatched. (Spoiler: it's not the kaiju!)

NEW EPISODE! Balloons! Tight ropes! Mute orphans! This one has it all... All except suspense, logical plots, and character decisions that make sense.

NEW EPISODE! A delightful "birthday" surprise for Ben, as new characters are introduced and old characters are revisited and MOVIE characters are almost forgotten! Almost. Bounty hunters and droid hatred abound in "The Hunter"!

Ben wraps up his coverage of September 1978's cover dated comics by taking a look at Machine Man and Devil Dinosaur #6 and the ads and copy found in this month's comics.

The beginning of a new era: Chris Claremont is the new writer; Ernie Colon is the new artist; and a master assassin is the new antagonist! But who is the assassin?

It's Godzilla vs. three giant sized kaiju from another world...and the fate of the earth hangs in the balance. Fortunately, the Big G isn't alone...Dum dum Dugan and Gabe Jones are there! But are they enough?

There's a stunt! Something goes wrong! Human Fly has to rescue people! So bad it's good? So bad it's bad? Or so mediocre it's mediocre? There's a LOT of comics in the world...and this is one of them.

It's a duel of the scoundrels as Han Solo faces off with the pirate Crimson Jack to wrap up the remaining plot threads from issue #7!

Taking a look at Machine Man #5 and Devil Dinosaur #5, Ben also looks at the ads and editorial copy of Marvel's August 1978 cover dated books!

Using Star Wars as a guideline,  we’re exploring comic books based on licensed properties that Marvel Comics published from 1977 to 1986. It’s the final issue of Man from Atlantis! Ben wraps up his coverage of the comic and the TV show with an issue of the comic that goes from …

This issue: it's John Carter: Warlord of Earth? It's the power of SCIENCE vs the power of love as John Carter finds himself home...sort of.

As two alien races war using giant monsters, earth and Godzilla are pulled into the conflict!

Flashback...to that time when Human Fly's PR guy was a down on his luck out of work reporter and got his current job by jumping out of a plane to save Human Fly's life!

The water planet story arc ends here as Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie and the droids help when a war breaks out between the inhabitants of the planet!

Taking a look at Machine Man #4 and Devil Dinosaur #4, both featuring invading aliens and big battles! Also, looking at the ads and editorial copy of Marvel's July 1978 cover dated books!

The walking dead are marching on Helium and the plot marches off the rails! Lots of cool stuff happens, strung together by a story that struggles to make sense of its plot. But is it still awesome?

It's a lost world, complete with dinosaurs and ancient civilizations and treasure! Mark Harris faces danger and discovery unlike anything he;s ever seen...because most of what he has seen was done on a TV budget.